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Message from the Director

On behalf of the faculty, staff and students of the School of Music at The Ohio State University, I am pleased to welcome you to our website. For more than a century our faculty has embraced its fundamental mission, that we are “committed to nurturing the best of Ohio’s students while maintaining excellence and diversity by recruiting nationally and internationally.” Our dynamic faculty of professional performers, scholars, composers, music educators and conductors welcome the opportunity to assist students in the development of their musical talent, nurturing their passion and preparing each individual to make significant artistic contributions in their future musical endeavors.
Our website offers a glimpse into the depth, breadth and quality of programs. You will find that we offer ten undergraduate degrees, four graduate degrees, two music minors and one graduate interdisciplinary specialization. We are pleased to offer a remarkable array of classes and ensembles, as well as individualized studio instruction, all designed to nurture each individual student musician.

The School of Music annually hosts the Music Celebration Concert, the Jazz Festival, the Lectures in Musicology Series, the Buckeye Invitational, Honor Bands and Choral Festivals, internationally known performers and scholars in residence, fully-staged Opera & Lyric Theatre productions, summer camps, symposia, workshops and hundreds of public concerts, recitals and lectures. The Music Cognition Lab, Ethnomusicology Lab and the Helen Swank Voice Teaching and Research Laboratory afford students a spectrum of opportunities to study music from new perspectives.

Studying music at The Ohio State University means you have remarkable opportunities. We are the flagship university in our state and ranked 16th among the nation’s best public institutions. With over 1,000 student organizations, discounts for events across the city and a powerful network of more than 500,000 alumni, Ohio State provides a diverse and exciting educational experience. The city of Columbus, the capital of Ohio and the 14th largest city in the United States, was ranked by Money Magazine as one of the “6 Best Big Cities” in the country. And National Geographic points out “Why All the Cool Kids Love Columbus, Ohio.”

The faculty and staff welcome your interest in the School of Music. We invite you to explore the exciting possibilities that await you. Browse our Undergraduate and Graduate programs as well as opportunities for non-majors who want to stay active in music while on campus. We want you to feel right at home here at The Ohio State University.

William L. Ballenger, DirectorThe Ohio State University School of Music